Glorious things are said of you, city of God. – Psalm 87:3

Today's Scripture Reading (September 20, 2025): Psalm 87 & 88

King Alaric led his Visigoth Army into Rome on August 24, 410 C.E. The Visigoths were a Germanic people and likely were of diverse origins. For a while, they had been allied with the Romans, fighting as a Roman Barbarian force in the Balkans. However, under the leadership of Alaric, the Visigoths turned on their Roman allies and attacked Rome. By this time, Rome had ceased being the administrative capital of the Western Roman Empire; that capital had moved to Mediolanum or Milan in 286 CE and then to Ravenna in Northern Italy in 402 CE. As a result, the city of Rome fell for the first time in almost 800 years.

It wasn't that Rome was no longer important. Rome was still "The Eternal City" and revered as the spiritual center of the Empire. After Rome fell, shock enveloped the Empire. So, it didn't take long after the fall of the city for various "experts" to step forward with the reason for the fall. At the time, most of that blame fell on the Christian Church. The fall of Rome was a direct result of the people's adoption of Christianity and their rebellion against the traditional gods of the Roman Empire.

This accusation against the Christian Church instigated Augustine of Hippo to write his theological treatise about the Christian Faith, "The City of God" (or more completely "The City of God Against the Pagans"). The completed book was published in 426 CE and is seen as one of the most important works of the early church. "The City of God" presented an argument in favor of Christianity as it stood against the pagan philosophies of the known world, including the religions of the Romans before the advent of Christianity. He made the argument that Christianity was responsible for the success of the Empire, and not the fall of "The Eternal City." Augustine also taught in this book that while the earthly Empires might be imperiled, in the end, "The City of God" would win the final battle.

It is thought that Augustine lifted the title of his book from this verse. The Psalmist praises Jerusalem by recounting the people's thoughts about it. We might want to call Jerusalem "The City of David," after all, until the reign of David, the city had remained in the hands of the Jebusites. It was David who had devised a way to get into the city and led the attack that resulted in Jerusalem finally becoming part of Israel. It was David who had made the city his capital, David who had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, ending its time of exile. It was David who had planned for, someday, a Temple to be built in the city dedicated to God and revolutionizing the state of worship both in the city and the nation. Someday, the people would come to call Jerusalem the "City of David." But the Psalmist knew the truth; Jerusalem was the "City of God."

The glory of Jerusalem had faded, and the majesty of Rome had disappeared; the city had been sacked, but Augustine understood that the "City of Heaven," the real "City of God" and "Eternal City," would continue to reign. And in the end, it was that "City of God" that would possess the victory and would never fall to its enemies.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 50